The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Swiss railway technician tampered with hundreds of train brakes

SBB trains in Basel.
The court ruling came to light after the technician appealed against his dismissal by SBB. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Rail passengers were put in “the greatest” danger after a Swiss Federal Railways (CFF/SBB) technician tampered with hundreds of brake controls last year, it has been revealed.

A ruling by the Federal Administrative Court, published on Friday by the media group TamediaExternal link, said SBB had discovered in May 2020 that a SBB technician had interfered with hundreds of train brake controls over a period of several months last year while trains were in a workshop.

The 26-year-old man had allegedly entered fictitious values in a brake test system, the ruling stated. The result was that faulty brakes were not discovered and were subsequently installed in Swiss passenger trains, the report said.

“In the event of emergency braking, the train… could not brake fast enough,” according to the court ruling.

The employee had “put railway operations and the safety of customers in the greatest danger”, the SBB said, while insisting that it remained an “isolated case”.

Contested dismissal

The ruling came to light after the technician appealed against his dismissal by SBB. He denied having intentionally tampered with the brake controls. The court, however, supports SBB’s decision and arguments.

In court, the technician had been defended by the railway workers’ union (SEV). The union does not dispute that a technical error was made. But it argued that the man had worked sloppily and he did not deserve to lose his job.

“There is no evidence that he deliberately tampered with the brake controls, there is only circumstantial evidence,” said SEV Vice President Barbara Spalinger.

The Tamedia report said the case had been discovered after several colleagues reported it to their superiors. Swiss Federal Railways says all damage has been repaired and the affected brakes were properly checked. It is unclear how long the employee allegedly tampered with the controls.

More

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Millionaires prioritise well-being over material possessions

More

High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions

This content was published on The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.

Read more: High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
Spanish flu: virus genome deciphered a century later

More

Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus

This content was published on Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.

Read more: Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus
Three inmates attempt to escape from Sion prison

More

Prison escape foiled by Swiss police

This content was published on Three inmates attempted to escape from Sion prison on Sunday morning. Their capture required a major police operation.

Read more: Prison escape foiled by Swiss police
The start of the holiday season means long traffic jams on the Gotthard

More

Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season

This content was published on The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.

Read more: Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR